|
|
There is a deeper, decadent pleasure from eating
that is reserved only for those who know
what's really in their food and where it really came from.
Happy First Day of Summer, ,
I want to share with you a letter a client recently wrote me. I hope it's inspiring to you and motivates you to take a look at your food in a brighter light. Are *you* eating REAL food?
Tracy, you have always advised me that eating on purpose for life is not about depriving myself of what I want. Instead, it's about making informed choices, enjoying the food, and being happy with those choices. I have slowly, but surely, increased my awareness and practice of this principle. 98% of the food in my house at any one time is authentic, delicious, and what my body needs. I've learned to read labels and recognize deceptive things like "all-natural ingredients" for what they are - deliberate attempts to conceal ingredients that I would not choose to put in my body. These kinds of ingredients are not healthy no matter how hard someone works to mask them with clever words.
I recently made a choice to indulge, trading my morning workout for breakfast out with a friend. You have taught me that indulging is not cheating; it is truly eating on purpose. Well, with great purpose, my friend and I headed off to a local diner that we used to go to years ago. We ordered what we wanted and anxiously awaited service of our indulgence. I ordered French Toast, and my friend ordered Eggs Benedict. The food arrived shortly and so did some powerful realizations about what I was really "indulging in".
I looked at my plate carefully. First, I noticed a package of "buttery spread" (that did not need refrigeration). I asked for real butter, and the waitress said, "it's right there" pointing to the partially-hydrogenated, artificially-colored spread. Then I looked at the jigger of "pancake syrup" that was really colored high-fructose corn syrup. Instantly I thought lovingly about the bottle of pure Maple Syrup from the Farmer's Market in my pantry at home. My friends breakfast was just as fake: Hollandaise Sauce from a powder that was an anemic off-white color and homefries covered in an all-purpose seasoning (read: MSG). There was no delicious, made-at-home-from-REAL-ingredients aroma coming from the food. Worst of all, the taste was artificial and can best be described as "plasticky". In a word: fake. I was amazed at the number of people around us scarfing up this cuisine with seemingly no idea that they have another choice.
So despite my best efforts to indulge in something authentic and delicious on a special occasion, I did not get what I truly wanted: REAL food. Delicious food. But I did get some stark lessons:
* Most people eat mindlessly.
* Fake food has become the standard of eating.
* I am (now) so used to eating on purpose and the associated benefits that my taste buds and my body reject the artificial food. So it seemed like a great time to express my continued appreciation for all that you have taught me. I cannot emphasize enough how the shift to eating on purpose has impacted me, and I look forward to doing so for the rest of my life.
I appreciate so much my clients who stay in touch and share their experiences. And thanks to TW for permission to reprint his letter; I couldn't have said it better myself. As we begin the summer season today, make a new (or renewed) commitment to yourself to eat on purpose. Make sure you are nourishing your body (and your future health) with REAL food. Be well! Tracy |
|
|
- Do you eat REAL food?
- Celebrate Summer
with Berries - Awesome Custard
Sauce Recipe
- A new Label
Challenge: can you win
this month?
- Glorious Greens Demo
- Menu Labeling
on the Way in Mass
- Grow Your Own
|
|
Reading on Purpose
June Challenge
Do you regularly read food labels?
Are you a nutrition super sleuth?
The next few Challenges will be more difficult; can you figure them out?
Win a grab bag of healthy, delicious snacks if you are the first person to identify the product correctly and email me with the right answer!
Just because it claims to be quick, doesn't make it healthy. I can make a homemade version in the same amount of time!
| |
|
|
|
We all have our favorite traditions of summer. From my childhood summers on hot and sultry Georgia afternoons, I treasure memories of fresh-off-the-tree peaches and ripe watermelon juice running down my chin. I have to say, though, that my favorite summer treat is something I discovered once moving to New England to go to college: juicy, fresh, rich berries.
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries. I seem to track my summer based on the harvest succession of these plump and succulent nutrition powerhouses. You can begin to find them locally now, and if you've never done it, I highly recommend splurging an afternoon on the "pick your own" experience at a local farm.
Berries are  distinguished from other fruits by having the least sugar of all, despite their sweet taste. They are excellent for weight loss. Their rich, deep colors indicate a wide array of phytonutrients, antioxidants that combat damage to tissues and the overall effects of aging. Berries are also packed with Vitamins C and E and folic acid which, among many benefits, helps to control blood sugar. Dark blue berries like blueberries and blackberries are also loaded with anthocyanins, a special class of antioxidants found to neutralize free radical damage to the collagen matrix of cells and tissues that can lead to cataracts, glaucoma, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, peptic ulcers, heart disease and cancer.
Unfortunately, commerically-produced berries have one of the highest levels of pesticide retention. So where you can, buy organic. If not, be sure to soak berries in a natural pesticide cleaner (I use Veggie Wash) for a few minutes and rinse well before eating.
Enjoy berries at any meal, any time of the day. I love blueberries with sliced almonds, cinnamon, and some ground flaxseed in my yogurt or kefir for breakfast. Strawberries, gorgonzola cheese crumbles, spinach leaves, and some grilled chicken make an excellent salad. Whip up an excellent simple sauce for pork or lamb chops by sauteing some chopped onions and a little fresh thyme in olive oil, adding a cup of mashed blackberries, simmering for a few minutes to thicken, and finishing with a splash of balsamic vinegar and a little butter. Be sure to try this month's recipe for a delicious, rich (and REAL) custard sauce to pour over fresh berries. |
|
Cooking on Purpose Classes
Every session is a relaxed and informal event in my own kitchen in Hopkinton, MA, where you will meet others who love food and want to eat healthily. Feel more at ease in the kitchen. Bring more love and laughter to your cooking. These are hands-on sessions where you will sample several dishes and take all the recipes home. Register now to participate in one of these lively, entertaining, and delicious events (call 508-944-1407 or email tracy@purpose.us.com).
Stress Busters: Glorious Greens!
Monday, July 20th, 6:30pm, $35pp
Come have some fun and learn more about one of nature's healthiest foods: greens! Are you ever tempted at the grocery store to buy one of those bunches of greens in the produce section? Yet you aren't really sure what to do with it? Do you cook it or eat it raw? How do you cook it? And will it taste good? Join me for an evening of experimenting with delicious greens. You'll be amazed at how good these foods can taste. We'll try many different types of greens, prepared in a wide variety of simple ways. You'll be sure to find one or two that you and your family can enjoy and easily add to your diet. Plus you get to take the recipes home to get you started. Savor the wonderful early summer harvest!
Looking for a Fun and Different Summer Gathering Idea for Family or Friends?
Tired of the same-old barbeques or birthday parties? Well, choose instead to celebrate in a way that can change your life. Customize your own cooking demonstration. You pick the time & place. Plan a fun and cozy afternoon or evening of fabulous food with your friends learning (and eating!) how to be healthier. I provide the entertainment, helpful learning about nutrition and food, delicious dishes, and recipes to try on your own in the future. This is a great idea for a group of friends or work colleagues, a family celebrating a special milestone (e.g. birthday, anniversary), or a perfect gift to the person in your life who typically does all the cooking. A wide variety of fun and helpful topics and food focus areas are possible.
|
|
Living on Purpose: Grow Your Own
One of the easiest ways to know your food is authentic, wholesome, and healthy is to grow it and cook it yourself. That's one of the reasons I have a passion for teaching people how to enjoy simple, honest cooking.
I also love gardening. It's a passion for me. I make the time to plant, tend, and harvest my own vegetables from June through October, and I recommend it to everyone! I save hundreds of dollars over buying organic produce in a store.  Here's a photo of my Greens garden area, already rich with lettuces, herbs, arugula, boy choy, and kale. You can easily dedicate a small patch of your front or back garden to growing your own food and experience the joy of getting back to nature and getting close to your food. Even the Obamas are getting into "growing their own", a role model choice I respect greatly.
If you choose not to grow some of your own food, then seek out local, fresh food resources like farmers' markets and CSA (community supported agriculture) farms. A CSA is where you invest in a share of a farm (and its harvest) for an entire season and benefit from weekly pick-ups with a variety of just-ripe produce. If you want to know more about how to locate these resources in your area, please give me a call or send me an email. I'm happy to help you find access to local, whole, healthy foods. |
Copyright © 2009 Purpose LLC | |
|
June Recipe:
Custard Sauce
Ingredients
2 cups organic, whole milk
3 Tbsp Rapadura sugar or honey
(or use 15-20 drops of stevia)
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 large egg yolks (organic, free-range)
1-2 Tbsp arrowroot powder
2 Tbsp salted butter
Directions
(not as hard as it sounds; try it!)
Combine milk, sweetener, and vanilla bean pod in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until simmering, stirring gently. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks and arrowroot. Remove vanilla bean from pan. Whisking constantly, slowly pour 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk a few strokes and then add 1/2 cup more slowly. Continue this with the rest of the hot milk. Then pour entire mixture back into pan and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 min. until it thickens (add more arrowroot if needed). Scrape all seeds from vanilla pod and add to mixture, stirring well. Pour mixture back into mixing bowl. Add butter and beat for a few minutes to mix well and cool. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. If you allow plastic wrap to touch top of the custard, then you will avoid a thin skin forming on top. If it does, simply mix it back in with a whisk before serving. Serve with a large bowl of fresh berries and perhaps some ground flaxseed on top. |
Did you know? Menu Labeling On the Way!
I always advise my clients to beware restaurant meals, especially if they eat out often . As my client testimonial this month affirms, restaurant meals are usually rife with artifical ingredients, gigantic portions, and mounds of refined carbohydrates that spike blood sugar and cause insulin surges. Awareness and information are key to making good choices.
A few weeks ago, the Massachusetts Public Health Commission passed a statewide menu labeling policy. The policy requires calorie information on the menus and menu boards at fast-food and other chain restaurants with 20 or more outlets in Massachusetts.
This is the second state to pass a menu labeling policy, after California did so last fall. Implementation is to be complete by November 2010. While this isn't as comprehensive as the information as I'd like to see on restaurant menus, it's a great step in the right direction.
In the interim, I still recommend using on-line resources to check our your favorite restaurant offerings. The new labeling will certainly make people think twice about ordering Chili's Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie (at a whopping 1590 calories) or The Cheesecake Factory's fried macaroni-and-cheese balls at 1528 calories (for an appetizer!) or the over 2300 calories (that's not a typo) in a Bloomin' Onion appetizer from Outback Steakhouse or The Olive Garden's famouse Tour of Italy pasta dish at 1450 calories (and that's without any garlic bread or salad). As a general rule, restaurant servings are almost always enough for 2 or 3 meals (or people). To avoid mindless overeating, ask for a to-go container right after your meal is served and put away the portion you want to save for later. |
|
Eat on purpose.
Live on purpose. | |
|
|
